Netherlands reports 14 new COVID-19 fatalities

By Busra Nur Bilgic Cakmak

ANKARA (AA) – The Netherlands on Monday reported 14 new COVID-19-related fatalities, bringing the country’s toll to 5,694.

Confirmed coronavirus cases rose by 146, and the total infections now stand at 44,141, according to the latest data by National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM).

"The figures are in line with the impression that the measures are working," the RIVM said in its daily update.

Earlier this month Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte outlined a four-month plan to phase out social restrictions.

The lifting of measures began on May 11, and will be expanded in stages through September.Elementary schools, hairdressers and libraries have reopened while restaurants, cafes, cinemas, and cultural institutions will conditionally resume operations from June 1. A maximum of 30 people, including staff, will be allowed at a time, and only if visitors are able to keep a distance of 1.5 meters (nearly 5 feet) from others.

Restrictions will be further eased between June 15 and Sept. 1.

Citizens have been advised to maintain hygiene, avoid busy places, and stay at home if they are sick.

COVID-19 cases have been reported in 188 countries and regions since it emerged in China last December. The US, Russia, the UK and Brazil are among the hardest-hit.

The pandemic has killed more than 315,700 people worldwide, with total infections exceeding 4.74 million, and over 1.74 million recoveries, according to the figures compiled by US-based Johns Hopkins University.